Web change device



H. A, W. WOOD HEB CHANGE DEVICE Filed Feb. 25 1952 Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES 1 .TENT OFFICE 2,088,144' WEB CHANGE DEVICE Henry A. Wise Wood, New York, N. Y., assignor to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation or Virginia Application February 25, 1932, Serial No. 595,059 Renewed December 7, 1936 4 emma. (c1. 24a-5s) by the rolls can be located in proper position for the splicing and running of the web, and in which the fresh roll can be rotated on its own axis up to web speed, so that there will be no necessity for slowing down the press when the splicing is to take place; to provide for so manipulating the web that it can be run fromone and then from another roll conveniently without necessarily moving the rolls; and to provide means by which the loading of the new rolls is facilitated and the iloor space demanded for rotating the rolls vand supporting them while the splice is made will be reduced to a minimum, so that each roll supporting device can be placed within the over-al1 dimensions of a single unit ci' the modern type unit press.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willappear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an end view of a roll supporting and loading device constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

It is now well known that in the modern type high-speed newspaper printing press the splicing of the running web to the fresh web roll is done automatically without decreasing the speed of the press, because the fresh roll can be rotated on its own axis up to web speed, and the splicing can be done at that speed. This invention relates particularly to the manner in which the rolls and web are manipulated and supported before and after splicing.

The running roll R and the fresh roll R' are can'ied by a pair of pedestals II) secured, to the floor of the building so as toprovide a strong and rigid mounting for the rolls. The rolls are supported in these pedestals by means of blocks II mounted to move vertically in T-shaped guides or runways I2 formed in the pedestals themselves. Each block carries a rotatable chuck I3 adapted to t in the end or the paper roll and thusk providing a rotatable mounting for the roll.

On the outer side of each block is a half internal screw thread or nut I4. AMeshing with these nuts are a pair of vertical screws I5 mounted in the pedestals. These screws are rotated from a shait I6 operated' in any desired way through bevel gears I'I. l

In Fig. 1 the running roll R. is shown nearly exhausted and the fresh yroll R' is shown in position almost ready for splicing. Also another new roll 1'1.2 is shown in positionready to be raised into the position of the roll R' after the splice is to be made.

The roll R2 is located on a saddle 20 which is xed at the top of' a slide 2| having va. rack 22 thereon. A pinion 23 operated from any desired source of power, meshes with the rack and can move the saddle downwardly at an inclination to any desired point, so that the roll R.2 can be placed on it conveniently from a truck on the floor. Rotating in the opposite direction the pinion will raise the saddle and the roll upwardly at an inclination, the slide being provided with guides operating in inclined tracks 24 carried by projections 25 on the pedestals.

The blocks II carrying the-rotatable chucks 'I3 are put in place at the top of the pedestals so as to bring the chucks into the central passages in a new roll so as to mount it on the pedestal. After the roll moves down to running position and the roll is exhausted its blocks II can be lifted out through cut-outs 26 in the pedestals and placed at the top. Of course two sets of blocks are employed. Each of the chucks in the blocks II is slightly retractable so that the blocks can be taken out and replaced.

A shaft 30, which is connected with the printing press and consequently driven in proportion to the speed o! the press, drives a shaft 3| by means of a belt through a, clutch (not shown). On this shaft is pivoted a frame 32 which can be raised or lowered. 'I'his frame carries a se-` ries of pulleys. on which run belts 21. 'I'he pulleys and belts are operated when the clutch is thrown in.

The operation oi splicing the web is very simple. After the roll R' is put in place, as shown in Fig. 1, and the roll R is nearly exhausted, a normally inactive but preferably press-driven system oi belts 21, or other means, is brought down into contact with the surface of the roll R' and operated to bring the roll up to web speed at its circumference. The web W from the roll R is caused bythe position of the latter and a guide roll 28, 'to pass close to the surface of the roll R' when the roll R is nearly exhausted. Now a defiecting means, shown in the form of a brush 29 is pressed against the web' to force it against the roll R', the latter having previously been provided with spots of adhesive, or the roll R' can be lowered by means of the screws l5. In either case the web and the roll contact and the brush 29 backs up the web. The splice is completed, as is well understood in this art, and the web is cut off from the web R by means, not shown. This stub is then removed as stated, and the roll R' is moved downwardly to running position. After this the roll R2 is mounted at the top of the pedestals where it is left in stationary position until the running roll is nearly exhausted, when this operation is repeated.

It will be seen that the fresh roll R can be rotated up to web speed by the normally inactive means 21, preferably operated from a shaft of the press at such a speed that the belts of which it is composed will run at the speed of the web being drawn into the press. It will also be seen that a comparatively small floor space is required, reducing the demand for room which is very great, as high speed presses are used only in the largest cities where floor Space is at a premium.

Although I have illustrated and described one form of the invention, I am aware of the fact that changes can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact form shown, but what I do claim ist- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a vertical supporting means for the web rolls, blocks carried thereby for supporting the rolls, said blocks being movable downwardly in the support, a loading means comprising a saddle, a slide on which the saddle is xed, said slide being provided with means for guiding it to move at an inclination, means for moving the slide into such position that a roll of paper supported on the saddle will be brought into a position at the top of the roll support to lserve as a fresh web roll, and normally inactive but press-driven means for rotating the roll when in that position to bring its surface up to web speed.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a vertical supporting means for the web rolls, blocks carried thereby for supporting the rolls, said blocks being movable downwardly in the support, a loading means comprising a saddle, a slide on` which the saddle is fixed. said slide being provided with means for guiding it to move at an inclination, and means for moving the slide into such position that a roll of paper supported on the saddle will be brought into a position at the top of the roll support to serve as a fresh web roll.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supporting means for the web rolls, a loading means comprising a saddle, a slide on which the saddle is fixed, said slide being provided with means for guiding it to move at an inclination, means for moving the slide into such position that a roll of paper supported on the saddle will be brought into a position at the top of the roll support to serve as a fresh web roll, and normally inactive but press-driven means for rotating the roll when in that position to bring its surface up to web speed.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of inclined tracks, a slide guided thereby, a saddle carried by the slide for supportlng a web roll thereon and thereabove, means forl raising the slide and saddle along said tracks to place the web roll in position for splicing, and means for lowering the web roll vertically after splicing into running position.

HENRY A. WISE WOOD. 

